Prayer by the Numbers - "Two" Stands for the Power of Partnership

        In researching what the Word of  God has to tell us about the number "Two", it becomes quickly evident that there is power in partnership. That there are some things that a couple can accomplish that could simply not be achieved alone. There is no better example of this than when a man and woman initiate the powerful partnership of marriage. This summer I saw my two oldest sons married off  in the space of two short weeks. One of the true blessings in the midst of the whirlwind of activity was to see the amazing partnership that exists between each of them and their brides. During the second wedding I had the privilege of reading Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 which quite matter of factly says: "Two are better than one" because of the support and benefit that each can provide one another.
        When it comes to prayer, there is also power in partnership. Christ told His disciples that " If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19) That is true power! It is power that we may not realize if we labor in prayer alone. Probably most amazing of all is that the Bible teaches that when two believers partner in prayer it actually engages Christ so that the powerful partnership becomes a three cord triage of intercession (Matthew 18:20) that has inseparable (Ecclesiastes 4:12) spiritual strength. There is only one catch. Someone has to initiate a partnership. I remember specifically the joy my sons shared when they "popped the question" to their prospective partner. Should we not have that same joy? Who is that special someone you can partner with today to experience the power of TWO!

Prayer By The Numbers - "One" stands for God

It is quite fitting that the number ONE should represent our God. Interestingly enough, the passage in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4) that announces ONE time that "The Lord our God is one Lord." is also mentioned only ONE time in the New Testament (Mark 12:29)as well. In both instances; Moses and then Christ Himself, encourage us to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." It is clear that our Lord is to be the focus of our life. I can't imagine failing to talk to some one that I love with all my heart, soul and mind. In all the years that my wife and I have been married, I can honestly not remember one full day passing without talking to her. Even when I have been out of town, I have felt that desire to talk to her. There is something therapeutic about just hearing her voice. When it comes to prayer, should that not be the theme of our prayer life? That there is one so special; so dear to us, that we cannot let even one day pass without a conversation with the One who loves us with an "everlasting love." (Jeremiah 31:3)

The "ABC"s of Prayer - Z is for ZEAL - One of my favorite scriptures is Second Kings 10:16. I love this passage because it involves a discussion between two men of God who are challenging each other about their zealousness to serve the Lord. Jehu had just come from a great victory in executing God's judgement against the evil house of King Ahab to the last detail. He encounters Jehonadab and confronts him. "Is your heart right the way my heart is?" Jehonadab responds "It is. . . come and see my zeal for the Lord!" (Second Kings 10:15-16)If only Godly men today were so concerned about the spiritual condition of their brothers that they would ask those penetrating questions. King David understood Jehu's zealousness. In the book of Psalms, David proclaimed that his zeal had consumed him because of the forgotten words of the Lord.(Psalm 119:139-140)Christians, let the heart of Jehu and David also beat inside each one of us. That having the ability to share God's Word would excite us. And the opportunity "to provoke to good works" (Hebrews 10:24)our brothers and sisters, would be the goal of every believer.

The "ABC"s of Prayer - "Y" is for Yield.

Of the 24 times the word "yield" is mentioned in Scripture, 19 of those times the reference is to the result of a crop harvest. In the 5 other cases however, the word is used in reference to our relinquishing of our own will in order to live in service to God. Specifically as the word "yield" relates to prayer, the single Old Testament reference to this subject gives the only admonition in all of the Bible to the importance of yielding of ourselves to God and its all important outcome. This is found in 2nd Chronicles 30:8-9. There it says not to "be. . .stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God. . . For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him." What an amazing thought! If we yield ourselves to God, Then He will turn His face toward us and our children will find compassion and favor. One of the most amazing stories of yielding to God in prayer is the Old Testament account of when the armies of the Amalekites came against Israel in Exodus chapter 17. If you recall, Moses held up his arms in prayer and as long as his arms were up; Israel had the advantage but as His arms dropped, the Amalikites began to win the fray. For that reason, Aaron and Hur held Moses' arms up so that Israel would eventually win the battle. Was it a coincidence that when Aaron and Hur elevated the arms of their brother they were creating the letter "Y" with Moses? Perhaps, but I'd rather believe that it was a reminder to all of Israel of the results of yielding ourselves in service to God. As we live our lives in obedience to Him and then pray yielding the outcome of our requests totally to Him, He will respond and show us amazing results!

"ABC"s of Prayer - "X" is for Christ - Believe it or not; despite the common  belief that using the letter "X" in place of the name of Christ is a sacrilegious practice, the letter  "X"  actually stands for Christ in the Greek alphabet. In fact, it is believed that as early as the first century AD the Greek letter "Chi" stood for the Lord Jesus Christ. Tradition tells us that this understanding  actually came about because of the early church members practice of placing an X symbol above their door. They did this in order to identify themselves to each other as believers during times of great persecution. It is also true that during the fifteenth century in the early days of printing;because typesetting was a tedious and expensive part of printing, religious printers commonly used X for Christ in order to save time and money. Whether you feel the practice is wrong or right, one thing is for sure, Christ is brought to the heart and minds of those who encounter the symbol. I personally take the position of the Apostle Paul who when he was asked about questionable practices of proclaiming the name of Christ said : "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." (Philippians 1:15-18)

"I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:4

"I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:4

The "ABC"s of Prayer - W is for Worship

My most sincere hope is that these posts on the subject of prayer will stimulate a desire in you to learn to pray more passionately, effectively and consistently. The Lord's disciples had that desire. In Luke chapter eleven they were recorded as asking Jesus: "Lord, teach us to pray." His response was what we now have come to know as "The Lord's Prayer". It is important to note that the very first part of His response was focused on worshipping God the Father. He highlighted not only His position of omnipotence ("which art in heaven"), but also His holiness ("hallowed be thy name") and His supreme dominion over all creation. ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,as in heaven, so in earth." - Luke 11:1-2) If worship of the Heavenly Father was of primary importance to our Savior, should it not also be our priority? One of the best patterns for prayer ever devised by man, actually mirrors the Lord's Prayer. It is called the "ACTS" approach to prayer. Each letter in this acronym stands for a different component of Biblical prayer. The very first letter "A" stands for "Adoration" or worship! The other three letters stand for Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication respectively. But once again first; and foremost, is worship. Remember the words of the Psalmist David? "Enter into. . . His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4)So when we enter the throne room of God, we are to do so with adoration, praise and WORSHIP!

The "ABC"s of Prayer. "V" is for Vision

Vision is so critical to the success of any endeavor. The book of Proverbs warns us that "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) One of my favorite quotes about vision says : "Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference." That should be the goal of every believer. . . “making a  difference.” (Jude 1:22) If we think in terms of eternal value, there is no endeavor that can make a more positive difference than in the area of prayer. And to be successful, prayer requires vision as well. I am currently reading “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. It is probably the most thought provoking, vision and goal setting book on prayer I have ever read. Listen to Mark’s thoughts on prayer and vision and how he explains that the two are virtually inseparable : “We need different miracles during different seasons of life. We pursue different dreams during different stages of life. We stake claim to different promises in different situations. It’s a moving target, but you have to start somewhere. Why not right here right now? Don’t just read the Bible. Start circling the promises. Don’t just make a wish. Write down a list of God-glorifying life goals. Don’t just pray. Keep a prayer journal. Define your dream. Claim your promise. Spell your miracle!”

The "ABC"s of Prayer. "U" is for Undaunted

                        I love biographies about men of courage. One of my favorites is Undaunted Courage; the biography of Louis and Clark. Undaunted means a firmness in purpose or belief that is characterized by determination. The biography of Christopher Columbus is also another example of unshakeable resolution and faith. What causes men to demonstrate this type of courage ? Is it the anticipation of catching a glimpse of previously unseen territory that motivated the likes of Louis and Clark ? Could it be the determination that is generated by a confidence in the truth of God’s Word as in the case of Christopher Columbus ? (Isaiah 40:22 ) One thing’s for sure, these demonstrations of impervious resolve are inspiring!

                                I now have a new favorite biography of undaunted courage; that of my Step-Father, Leroy Lawrence. In the midst of battling cancer he has demonstrated an unshakeable faith that is nothing short of amazing. Similar to Louis and Clark, he has demonstrated an anticipation of catching a glimpse of a land he has never seen before. He has mentioned several times that he is looking forward to going “home”. And like Christopher Columbus, he has an assurance that can come only from his faith in the Word of God. I am reminded of the confidence with which Job delivered the words:  “For I KNOW that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” (Job 19:25) I am especially thankful today for men of undaunted courage who inspire the rest of us to do things previously thought unimaginable. After all isn’t that what Christ did for us ? He went undaunted, fearlessly to the cross to inspire us to do things previously unimaginable. Let our lives also be those of unshakeable resolve and faith; of fearless determination like Dad. . . and like our Savior.

The "ABC"s of Prayer - "T" is for Thankgiving

Prayer and Thanksgiving are inseparable. As far back as the account of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the scriptures have identified the fact that prayer should be approached with an attitude of thanksgiving. In fact, the book of Nehemiah mentions that there were certain Israelites whose principal responsibility in worship was "to begin the thanksgiving in prayer:" (Nehemiah 11:17) This thankful attitude is not only to be in response to answered prayer, but even as we make requests we are to pray with thanksgiving. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6) So why then is an attitude of thanksgiving such an integral part of prayer? As we embrace and attitude of thankfulness in the midst of our requests, we are acknowledging by faith that we know God not only hears our prayers but will faithfully answer them !

"ABC"s of Prayer. "S" is for Spirit

We have discussed the role of both the Father and the Son in prayer,but we cannot overlook the part the Holy Spirit plays in the most important of Christian disciplines. The Holy Spirit is the Helper to the believer. As we have discussed, Jesus Christ has provided access to the Father, but it is our Helper;the Spirit of God,that literally translates our requests so they can reach the ears of the Father. As the Apostle Paul put it : "... we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." So Christ provides the ability to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy" (Hebrews 4:16) and then the Spirit helps our words to align with the eternal will of God. So should we have confidence when we pray because the Spirit has aligned our prayers with the will of God? "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" (1 John 5:14) AMEN!

"ABC"s of Prayer- "R" is for Relationship

I am so thankful for relationships. The relationship I have with my wife, with my children, my friends and co-workers. More important than all of those types of relationships however,is our relationship with the Heavenly Father. For it is that relationship, that holds all of the other ones together. Did you know that God cherishes that relationship also? So much so that the Bible tells us that God wants us to call Him "Abba" or "Daddy"! The Apostle Paul told the Galations : "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galations 4:6-7) How good to know that when we go to prayer that we have that father/son relationship and we can wait expectantly for an answer. Think about the joy you feel as a parent when you are able to answer your childs request or give them a gift. The Word of God says that God enjoys answering requests even more than we do! "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11) Let us go to prayer today with the attitude of a young child tugging at the pantleg of his father saying "Daddy can I?" and we will be amazed with the results!

The "ABC's" of Prayer - Q is for Quiet.

When you discuss the topic of prayer, there are other words that also quite naturally come to mind. Solace, calm, peace and probably most frequently we also think of isolation or quiet. But did you know that "quiet" is not necessarily a prerequisite for prayer, but God's Word says; to the contrary, it is the outcome of prayer. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul as he mentors his son in the faith: Timothy. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior:" (1 Timothy 2:1-3) Wow, think about it. If we dedicate a portion of our life to prayer, the outcome will be a quiet and peaceful life. And not only that, but a disciplined prayer life will cultivate honest and godly characteristics in us. Is it any wonder that our Heavenly Father wants us to pray? For the benefit is not only to those we pray for, but to we who commit ourselves to the most needful, beneficial and honorable past time of all.

The "ABC"s of Prayer - "P" is for Peace

One of the greatest desires of all mankind is peace. Unfortunately we seem to look everywhere for it except to the only One who can provide it. The prophet Isaiah may have said it best when he wrote: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" (Isaiah 26:3) To experience true peace we must fill our minds with thoughts of our Lord. In fact, the Apostle Paul took focusing on God one step further by telling the church at Philippi to put everything else aside and to "be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6) When we focus on our Heavenly Father and make our requests known to Him in prayer then. . . "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7) The PRINCE OF PEACE!

The "ABC"s of Prayer - O is for OSTENTATIOUS

What exactly does it mean to be ostentatious? It sounds harmless enough right? To be ostentatious means to be showy or give a pretentious display that is designed to impress people. When it comes to prayer that is certainly not a good thing. In fact, in the Old Testament, Solomon addressed this issue on at least two separate occasions. In Proverbs 25:14 he cautions us that "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain." We're "all show and no go". Again in chapter 27 verse 2 he mentions that we should "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." Not only does this kind of conduct hurt our testimony as a believer, but it actually impacts our ability to reach the ears of our creator when we pray. As Christ Himself put it: "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1) Now that we know what it means to be ostentatious, let's be careful that we don't allow ourselves to be involved in this kind of conduct. Sure there is a time and a place for corporate prayer, but the bulk of our prayer should be done alone with our Heavenly Father so that we aren't seeking the praise of men. As Christ put it: "thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:4)

The "ABC"s of Prayer - N is for NEED

We are a needy people. In the book of Psalms alone this fact is mentioned a total of sixteen times ! Thankfully; to the extent that human beings are in need, God is able to deliver! Psalm 70:5 says "I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer." Amazing as it may seem, God turns a sympathetic ear to the voice of the needy. Knowing this, King David cried out to God: "Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy."(Psalm 86:1) To be in need is part of the human condition. How good to know that we as believers, have one who not only hears, but delivers! "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of NEED!" (Hebrews 4:16)

The "ABC"s of Prayer. "M" is for MERCY

MERCY is unmerited favor demonstrated by compassion and forgiveness. Our ability to even approach the throne room of God to pray is rooted in the mercy that was extended to us through the redemptive work of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Mercy Seat of the Old Testament is a type of Christ's atoning work. As it is worded in Hebrews chapter 9 : "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." The next time we come "boldy unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy," (Hebrews 4:16) let us be eternally thankful for the compassion, forgiveness and unmerited favor extended to each one of us at the mercy seat of Calvary!

The "ABC"s of Prayer. "L" is for LIST

First Thessalonians 1:2 says "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers." Do you have a prayer list? I don't know about you, but I am hard pressed to remember a short list of items to pick up at the grocery store, let alone to remember what should be a pretty specific list of names and reequests when I pray.How specific should the list be? The Apostle Paul mentions in the books of Romans,Ephesians, Thessalonians and Philemon that he prayed individually for believers. Is that a surprise? After all our Shepherd Jesus Christ knows us by name("the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name"- John 10:3)and if we are to pattern our lives after Him, we should be interceding by name. Make a list, keep it current. Keep track of our answers to prayer and you will be amazed and blessed with the results!